Here I Fall
by PrincessOfTheFallen
Summary: "They've ordered Sasuke Uchiha's annhilation"  Sakura watched him coming at her, it was so surreal, almost as if she were watching everything unfold in slow motion before her eyes. This was it. She had spent six years training, six years pushing herself. She was stronger now, and he always underestimated her. He would pay dearly for it because she would kill him...    Or die trying
1. Chapter 1

Here I Fall

A/N: Important before reading! First of all, this my first ff ever. Therefore I am begging for you guys to keep the flames to a minimum. Its a learning process ok? Secondly, I am wayyyyy behind on Naruto. I've probably only seen a couple of Shippuden episodes. I work two jobs, and up until recently, was going to school, consequently, I never had time to sit down and read the manga or watch the anime. I barely have time to eat or sleep sadly :( That being said, you will notice that my story deviates from actual events. The reason for this, I simply don't know what has happened so far. In my story, years have passed since Naruto and Sakura first "reunited" with Sasuke. Sasuke has already killed Itachi. For my story the characters are roughly 23 now. There will be timeline flaws but please bare with me. Ok enough with the boring crap, on with the story...

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto.

This will be all over soon..  
>Pour salt into the open wound..<br>Is it over yet? In my head..  
>I'm going all the way, get away<p>

Please...  
>You take the breath right out of me<br>You left a hole where my  
>heart should be..<br>Is it over yet?..  
>I can't win.<p>

**Ch. 1**

Cold soulless eyes gazed at an invisible spot on the wall as their owner pounded relentlessly into the flushed body underneath. "Uchiha-sama! Mmgh!" the girl cried. Azumi or was it Akuma? Who cared? Surely not the man in question, he simply continued his erratic pace, his mind barely registering his body's actions.

"Uch..iha-sama! P-p-lease! Ahh!" she screamed again. "Tch." 'How annoying'.. He thought. Why he even bothered with such nuisances was beyond him. He had needed to vent frustration, as all the other times he engaged in sex. It was always used as a means to relieve some kind of stress nothing more. Even when he would find his release, he never was completely satisfied.

He remembered a time when he was hell bent on revenge against Itachi, sex was the furthest thing on his mind. It was a waste of time, pointless. It was then that people started questioning his sexuality and his assets, or, as they had put it, 'lack of'. He, THE Uchiha Sasuke, gay? Or worse, SMALL? It almost defied the laws of physics. He was very much well endowed and cringed at the thought of being touched or touching another man in a less than appropriate way. He simply never felt the need to engage in that sort of activity. Now, he had endless amounts of time on his hands. His activities were to simply pass the time. Of course he never went looking for it but rather, bimbos just dropped from the sky, all intent on landing on his member...

He found it ludicrous that people believed sex was an act of love. After all there was no such thing as love, and if there were, he certainly didn't want anything to do with it. All it did was conjure memories.. Useless, dark, haunting memories.. Memories of blood spattered walls and floors.. His erratic pounding stopped for a fraction of a second but picked up just as quickly. His pace quickened as he threw his whole body into his task, ignoring the girl's weak protests.

"Uchiha-sama! T-t-o-o r-r-ough! Ahhh!" She clawed at his toned biceps, yet despite her verbal protests; her inner walls began contracting signaling her fast approaching end. "Uchi- mmmph!" Sasuke stopped her inane screeching with a hand over her mouth. His obsidian eyes glared down at her, "Shut. Up" he commanded. "Mmmpfrg" came her muffled reply. He lowered his hand only to wrap it around her frail neck and squeezed. Her eyes bulged out of their sockets in a panicked fear. He squeezed harder as he felt her walls clutching him in a death grip. She started struggling for breath, her eyes begging him to stop. He didn't, instead adding more pressure around her throat.

All he could see was the blood.. The blood that painted the once pristine walls an angry red.. His hand clenched tighter. Why couldn't memories be this easy to erase? Why couldn't he hold them in his strong grasp and squeeze until they disappeared just like the girl beneath him? His anger bubbled to the surface and he thrust harder, her release came instantly. A few hard thrusts and he found his own as he ripped himself out of her and spilled his seed onto her stomach. His eyes shut in a tortured expression yet not from pleasure but from the silent resignation that the memories would always haunt him... He slowly released the girl's throat, leaving deep purple and red finger imprints. She coughed and sucked in air greedily. Before she could question his actions, he threw her clothes at her and all but growled, "Leave." She opened her mouth to protest, but he simply raised an eyebrow, daring her to challenge him. She grabbed her clothes, bowed to him and ran silently out the door, leaving the man alone to fend off the never ending tortuous memories...

* * *

><p>Strong hands clenched into tight fists, slammed down, leaving small cracks on the oak surface in their wake. "NO! Absolutely not!", Naruto roared, fury blazing in his cerulean eyes. Emerald orbs shut briefly as the pink haired woman sighed softly. To say she wasn't expecting this reaction would have been a blatant lie. Opening her eyes she spoke slowly and calmly, almost as if she were addressing a small child, "There is no other choice Naruto". "But Sakura! We- THEY can't! I won't let them!" He objected. "Naruto, there is nothing you can do. Even as hokage, the elders' word is final.." She took a deep breath before speaking those words again, "They have ordered Sasuke Uchiha's annihilation." Gritting his teeth to the point that Sakura feared he'd cause permanent damage, Naruto tried in vain to rein in his anger. "What is the point of being hokage if I can't even save the teme? Not only that but they've chosen YOU! You of all people! How could- !"<p>

"I am only the leader of one of the three special teams being assigned to this mission. As I've said, there is nothing we can do." Sakura replied calmly. She hoped that if she repeated this line long enough to herself and others, she might start to believe it. 'There was nothing she could do'.. "But Sakura! How can you accept this! Why? Sasuke is- "

"Is a criminal Naruto. He is no longer our teammate or friend. He must be stopped and if that is the only way, then so be it." Her green eyes gave away no emotion, remaining frozen as she spoke those cold words. Naruto felt numb with shock, how could she? He knew she had suffered more than anyone else when Sasuke left. He knew she refused to let her pain show. And he knew she would have done anything, given anything to have him return. But to have her give up was unthinkable. He hadn't thought her capable of it. She was stronger than that. "S-s-sa-kura.." He began. "Don't."She cut him off. "Just don't Naruto... Gomen but you have to accept it."

She turned to leave, deciding he needed to maul things over; after all, it was a pretty nasty pill to swallow. Not to mention, she no longer wished to see Naruto's pained expression. She couldn't take the waves of confusion and sadness that radiated off of him. She began to feel suffocated in the seemingly tiny office. She resisted the urge to break into a run and instead eased her way towards the exit. Lost in his own thoughts, Naruto didn't notice her attempt at fleeing. It wasn't until the door almost shut behind her, that he heard her parting words, "I gave up on him a long time ago. As should you…."


	2. Chapter 2

Here I Fall

A/N: Ever since I watched episode 109, I've become obsessed with Sakura's unrequited love and the pain she goes through. You can say this inspired me to write my story but truly one video made me want to write this. It is one of the best amvs I have ever seen. I STRONGLY encourage you to watch it. It's called, "Deep Down" by sahlar1. It's amazing. Ok on with the story...

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto in any way, shape, or form.

Tell me what I'm supposed to do  
>With all these leftover<br>feelings of you.  
>Cause I don't know..<br>And tell me how  
>I'm supposed to feel<br>When all these nightmares  
>become real..<br>Cause I don't know.  
>And I don't think you see<br>the places inside me that I find you  
>And I don't know how we separate<br>the lies here from the truth...

Chapter 2:

Wisps of steam circled and curled in a weightless haze. The sound of running water resonated off the tiled walls, echoing ever so slightly. Hot water ran sensually down every tantalizing curve of ivory skin. Small scars marred the otherwise smooth surface. Sakura sighed, something she seemed to be doing a lot of lately.

When she had been informed of her mission, she had dutifully let no emotion play across her features. But inside a huge battle raged on, for she knew, as she had known for a long time, Sasuke Uchiha needed to be stopped. She had feared that it would come to this, yet she hadn't lied when she told Naruto that she had given up on Sasuke a long time ago…

How many nights had she laid awake begging to every god that had, did and would exist, that he return? How many days had she spent thinking about how it all could have been different? How many tears had she shed when she thought of how cruel he had become, going so far as to try to kill her twice? How many times had her heart broken over and over leaving it in an irreparable mess? But what more could she have expected of the man that had only seen her as a nuisance.. Annoying.. Yet she still hoped that he would one day forego his thirst for vengeance and return to Konoha... For Naruto's sake and her own.. But he had changed, transformed into a soulless man hell bent on obtaining power and nothing else. And as the days turned into months, and the months faded into years, she began to lose hope, finally accepting what she had refused to from the very beginning.. He was never coming back.. He was lost, and there was nothing she could do for him.

Once she had accepted it, she shut down. She felt like she had died and all that was left of her was a shell of the woman she once used to be. She had stopped smiling, stopped laughing, stopped eating, she had essentially stopped living. Naruto took it the worst, the blonde was heartbroken seeing her die a little more each day. He couldn't stand watching her look so frail and sick, watching the light completely leave her eyes. What twisted the knife further was that he couldn't help her. The only one that could, ironically, had been the one who had destroyed her. 'That' man had killed her in so many more ways than one. The emotional scars would never heal, but instead be a constant reminder of how she had been weak…

Never again, she had told herself. She would never need to be saved, she would never let someone break her, she would never again be afraid. That is when she had thrown herself into training and work. She had all but forced a reluctant Tsunade into teaching her ALL she knew, including some forbidden techniques. She had trained hours upon agonizing hours, submerging herself into the one thing she knew would help her forget. She was determined to make herself impenetrable. She would not be glass again. So fragile, so breakable.. Just like glass she had obtained her fair share of scratches and tiny cracks but she didn't care, no one could see them. At least not until she shattered.. He broke her, leaving her to pick up the destroyed shards.. The pieces could always be put back together but the grotesque cracks and tears would ALWAYS remain..You could always see the distorted and ugly picture. It would never be the same.. She refused to let anyone see that, she refused to have them pity her. She would use her pain as a means to be stronger...

Though Naruto wasn't too fond of her new found obsession, he preferred this Sakura over the walking corpse. Over the years she had grown stronger, faster, smarter. She had become one of the, if not THE best kunoichi in all of konohagakure, giving her male counterparts, and even the former godaime herself, a run for their money. She had become a well respected medical nin and a feared foe. She would never be perceived as weak again.. Perhaps for that very reason, the elders had decided to elect her as one of the leaders in charge of taking down Sasuke. They had told her that since he had been a part of her squad years ago, perhaps she had knowledge of his weaknesses and therefore held some advantage . She had ALMOST snorted in their faces. Deep down she had a feeling that they only wished to see if she could truly have the will and desire to kill Sasuke. She knew she was a pawn in their own little sick and twisted game.. But like so many other things, she had no choice..

Sighing once more, the pinkette shut off the now cold water and reached for a towel. Wrapping her wet, lithe body, she exited of the steam enshrouded bathroom. Making quick work of brushing out her long pink hair, she made haste in getting into bed after throwing on some night clothes. All of the thoughts had overwhelmed her, leaving her exhausted. As her eyes began to flutter shut, she silently begged for a dreamless slumber...

The metallic scent invaded her nose and she tried to breathe through her mouth in order to keep from gagging. Her stomach flipped in constant circles as she slowly recognized the smell. It was everywhere.. It was caked on her pink locks and coated her hands. She started hyperventilating, closing her eyes in the process in a futile attempt to keep the grotesque view away. But even behind her eyelids, the image was burned into her mind. She opened her panic stricken orbs once more..

The blood was everywhere. She could see it staining the ground painting everything in its wake an angry red... TenTen lay a mere two feet from her. Her unseeing eyes stared up at her, almost in a silent accusation. 'Why didn't you save me?' Blood seeped from the deep gashes littered across her still form. Sakura attempted to back away slowly, but instead collapsed onto her knees. Her whole frame shook uncontrollably. She forced herself to look passed TenTen's lifeless form only to see Lee's mangled corpse. His arm was bent an odd angle, and his leg, the one that was still attached, was ripped open exposing the bone and tendons. His face was swollen and battered to the point of being unrecognizable.

Next to him lay Kiba, his spine was contorted in the most sickening way. Blood spewed from his agape mouth. There were more bodies behind him but she forced herself to look away. She couldn't bear to see who else was dead. Tears blurred her vision and that's when she caught a glimpse of orange and yellow..

'God no..' She mentally begged. She shakily rose to her feet and willed her legs to move. She could see him now. "Naruto!" Her hoarse voice rang out in the eerily silent field. She couldn't run, her legs felt weak and she feared they wouldn't be able to support her. Her heart squeezed painfully with every shaky step she took. He was laying face down in the dirt, unmoving.

She dropped to her knees in front of him, slowly reaching out. The knot in her throat swelled in size almost cutting off her supply of precious oxygen. "N-nar-uto.." She called softly. He was pretending, she told herself. He was pulling her leg. He had to be. The tears were falling without her noticing. She slowly smiled, "Come on Naruto. Don't be a baka. Get up!" She knew he had to be ok. He was joking, he had to be! She expected him to jump up and give her one of his goofy smiles and say, "I got ya Sakura-chan! Dattebayo!"

Seconds went by and nothing happened. Her heart skipped a beat. He was ok. He was ok! Anger coursed through, why was he joking around? She grabbed a hold of his jacket and shook him roughly. "Naruto! Enough with the pretending!" Again nothing happened. Her fury boiled over and she flipped him over so that she could yell at him for worrying her...

Her blood curdling scream filled the ominous air. Naruto's glazed orbs bore into her... His chest was torn open, ribs were splintered and broken, his lungs hung out of the rib cage and his heart appeared to be missing. Sakura felt herself losing her grip on sanity. Her eyes couldn't look away. Her erratic breathing sounded deafening in her ears. She felt like the scared little girl of twelve all over again. She had reverted back to the weak little girl who couldn't save anyone. She could hear someone screaming as she held her head in her hands screwing her eyes shut wishing it all away. It wasn't until her throat began to ache that she realized the screams had come from her. She was starting to lose her mind..

"Sa-ku-ra.." She froze instantly. That voice. She turned slowly coming face to face with Sasuke Uchiha.. He lay on his back in a puddle of blood. His chest rose and fell as he gasped for air. Blood seeped from his eyes. She watched him with disbelieving eyes for what seemed like years. She began to crawl over to him even though warning alarms went off in her head. He was the same as she had remembered him, dark hair, cold black eyes, chiseled features. He looked up at her and smirked.

"Kill me" he whispered. Silence. She couldn't move or think she could only sit there and stare at him. _Kill_ him? Why? She wondered. As if to answer her question, images of blood flashed in her mind as she slowly took in the smirk that adorned his lips. Her own lips began to quiver as realization set in.

"_You_... _You_ did this.." It wasn't a question. He was silent but continued to look up at her with those obsidian eyes. His silence was all the confirmation she needed. She would kill him! She would destroy him in every way possible. She would make him suffer. How _dare_ he take them away from her? Chakra flowed to her right hand as she raised it high above her head. Through her tears she could still see his face. To her immense disgust, she hesitated.

"Please.. Do it Sakura.. Kill me" he coaxed. Why couldn't she do it? Why couldn't she kill him? Why wasn't her body doing what her mind was screaming for it to do? She refused to let her tears fall. She would never cry in front of him, she would not show weakness.. Regardless of her determination, her hand started to lower.

She suddenly felt strong fingers wrap around her neck. Before she even realized what was happening, she was slammed into the unyielding ground and Sasuke towered over her. She hadn't even seen him move, but he had always been fast and she cursed herself for hesitating. She had given him the perfect opportunity.

"Weak." His cold voice mocked. His smirk crept its way back onto his lips. "Even after you knew I destroyed them, you couldn't do it. You couldn't save them and you can't even avenge them. How _pathetic_." His free hand came down hard on her left arm. She bit back her scream as the pain shot through her, she knew the bones were shattered.

"Scream for me Sakura". He whispered. She couldn't keep the tears from falling and she hated herself for it. His fist connected with her right leg, breaking the bones in the process. This time a whimper escaped her.

"Insolent little girl.." He continued to taunt. She closed her eyes refusing to let him see the agony in her eyes. The hand wrapped around her neck squeezed and the other fist came down on her ribs. The scream escaped her lips involuntarily. She gasped trying to breathe but the cracked bones had punctured her right lung. The left tried to compensate for the other but it wasn't enough. She started choking on her own blood, and everything started going fuzzy. Black spots danced in and out of her vision. Why had she hesitated? Why had she let him get to her? Why_? Why_? The question rang in her head.

He started breaking the fingers in her right hand…. One by one, slowly, as he watched her writhe in pain. He was breaking her all over again.. The pain of having her bones broken was nothing compared to the agony she was feeling of her heart breaking. She had been weak. She had let him break her...Again… As she succumbed to the black abyss, his voice whispered, "You always were weak..". And then she was gone...


	3. Chapter 3

Here I Fall

A/N: I don't really like the beginning of the chapter. It's kind of a filler. But I kinda felt it was necessary all the same and I liked writing the second half better. So don't hate me too much. :/ Also, this is the second chapter uploaded today yay. I have to start working on chapter 4. Please leave feedback.

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I wouldn't be working so much but alas, I do NOT

You and I,

Share the same reflection..

Why don't you see,

That we cannot survive

In this condition?

If you're cut, I'll bleed…

So go on carve into

Your own heart.

I could use a new scar

Or a brand new start..

Slowly severing the only memories

That bind us as one…

I'm starting to

feel a transformation.

How did I get here?

I don't recognize my own reflection….

Chapter 3:

Sakura's eyes flew open as cold sweat coated her pale skin. Her heart was aching from pounding relentlessly into her rib cage. She drew in a shaky breath glancing at the clock in the process. Bright red numbers stared back at her.

3:28

Less than three hours before her shift at the hospital. She sat up slowly, running a hand through her hair, knowing full well she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. The nightmare had left her shaken and emotionally drained.

She reluctantly climbed out of bed and began getting dressed. She needed to go for a run, maybe even break a couple things along the way...

Her pink locks whipped around her in an angry flurry as she ran at break neck speeds. With every chakra charged step, she believed she would be able to outrun the lingering images of her nightmare... The sight of blood flashed before her eyes, right before the branch below her feet snapped. She fumbled to get her footing as she cursed herself for losing focus.

She had been running for a little over an hour and wasn't winded in the least but she knew she had to start heading back, lest she risk being late for her shift and face the wrath of her shishou. She kicked off the branch she was currently standing on and began running in the opposite direction.

The more the nightmare replayed in her mind, the more she felt disgusted with herself. How could she let him invade her dreams? The one place she could escape to. He even haunted her there. That bastard. She hadn't dreamt about him in months. But the snake had weaved his way into her subconscious. Again. She paused in her sprint and punched the trunk of the tree. Its bark started splintering and she leapt off its branch to the next tree right before it crumbled to the ground. How she had wished the fallen and battered tree was the cold Uchiha.. Refusing to let him linger on her mind, she took off running again. Her anger fueled her to run faster, at the rate she was going, she figured she'd have enough time to shower before work...

* * *

><p>"Haruno-san!" The panicked voice called out. The woman in question looked up from the medical chart she held in her hands. The older shinobi ran up to her babbling. "Sabiki's been poisoned and we suspect her ribs are broken! You must hurry!" He began running down the white hallway and not missing a beat, Sakura followed suit. Seconds later she burst through the doors of one of the hospital rooms. "Move!" She hollered pushing her way through the people standing around. The woman named Sabiki lay on the gurney in obvious distress. Her feminine features were contorted in pain. Sakura rushed to her side, chakra already flowing to her palms.<p>

Placing her hands on the kunoichi's torso, Sakura quickly began working on breaking down the poison and extracting it from her bloodstream. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, it seemed as if the poison had been in her system for a while but she had noticed the ribs hadn't punctured anything and she sighed in relief.

After twenty minutes of working on the woman, the poison had been removed. Sakura began mending her ribs all the while adding extra chakra in order to ease the other woman's pain and discomfort. As she finished, Sakura couldn't help but feel drained. Sweat lightly coated her skin and she was breathing harder than normal. She had been healing ninja left and right all day and her shift should have ended hours ago..

"Go home Sakura-san", the young assistant said. "You look like crap. You always push yourself to the breaking point." She scolded the older woman. Turning exhausted green orbs towards the reprimanding girl, Sakura waved her off. "Hai, Izami, I'm leaving but you know if anything happens let me know." "Hai!" The brunette bowed respectfully. Sakura waved once more and stifled a yawn as she walked away.

She was fond of the girl but hated when she meddled. And the girl absolutely adored the slightly older kunoichi. Izami respected Sakura and only wished to one day be as skilled as the medic. But she couldn't help but feel sorry for her as well. In the short time she knew her, Izami could see that Sakura was lonely, though as stubborn as she was, she'd never admit it. The woman was beautiful, strong, smart, and skilled but she always had her guard up. She was jaded...

* * *

><p>Sakura began running the hot water, fully intent on spending hours soaking and relaxing. Kami knew she needed time to herself. Sitting at the edge of the tub in nothing but a towel, she watched the steam rise in mesmerizing swirls. Her reflection stared back at her in the gradually rising water…<p>

The long pink hair framed the heart shaped face of the woman who stared back at her. She tentatively fingered a strand, absentmindedly wondering why she had let it grow so long. For years she had kept it short for the convenience of it not getting in her way while working or training. Yet for the life of her, she couldn't fathom the reason as to why it now flowed down to her waist. She didn't have time to cut it, she reasoned nonchalantly.

A part of her knew that was a lie. Part of her believed that she had subconsciously let it grow as physical proof that she had changed and had shed the weakness, essentially growing into someone stronger. However, in a sick twist of irony, long hair always made her think of a certain raven haired s-rank criminal…

She pushed the thoughts out of her mind before they could fully develop. She continued to gaze into the water filled tub. Her emerald orbs were more like the gem they resembled in more ways than one, being both beautiful yet hard… Frozen… A flash of onyx flickered in her mind's eye. Frozen black pools of emotionless depth…

She stood up abruptly, shutting off the water in the process and refusing to look at her reflection. She went to the kitchen, ripping open the cabinet and retrieving a glass. She could feel her pulse racing as her temper flared. She was beyond angry. She was furious with herself for letting that asshole invade her thoughts. It was bad enough that she had dreamt about him for kami's sake!

Pulling open the freezer, she reached for the ice tray and dropped four cubes into the awaiting glass. Slamming the freezer door shut, she made her way over to another cabinet. She pulled out a bottle of liquor, almost crying in relief. Filling the glass to the top, she attempted to rein in her anger. What difference did all years she had worked so hard at becoming stronger make, when her mind was still weak?… Still susceptible to memories…

She downed the full glass in large swallow like a parched woman, ignoring the bitter taste. She instantly felt a tiny bit better as the alcohol burned its way down her throat. She began to refill the glass, her anger already reigniting. Did she need to resort to being inebriated in order to escape her memories? And down went the second glass…

* * *

><p>Sakura walked into her room, still in her towel and her sixth glass in hand. She was finally relaxed and though ten minutes had elapsed, the tub of water was still miraculously hot. Wanting to stay relaxed, she figured scented candles would be appropriate. Her mother had given her a box of heavenly smelling candles for her birthday several years ago, which were now somewhere in the godforsaken room.<p>

Setting her glass down, Sakura went to her dresser hunting for her prize. Being slightly intoxicated wasn't helping her search much as she threw the contents of a drawer haphazardly onto her bed. Picking her glass back up and taking a sip, she rummaged through knick knacks she forgot she even owned. Her fingers suddenly came in contact with a folded up piece of paper. Curiosity got the better of her as she picked it up and unfolded it. The glass slipped from her fingers and shattered into a thousand pieces, spilling its contents onto her wooden floor….

Sakura's heart clenched painfully as she stared into the very eyes she wished to never see again… Why hadn't she gotten rid of this picture?...

There he was, scowling like always next to his former teammates and sensei. And there she was, smiling.

Foolishly oblivious to everything…

"_Sasuke-kun!" Always smiling… Never knowing how she would break…_

"_Why?" The smile was gone… washed away by tears…_

"_I love you so much!" She couldn't stop her heart from breaking…._

"_I'll do anything for you!" Please…She begged.._

"_Please stay here with me!" The tears would not stop._

"_Take me with you.." Just please don't leave, her breaking heart cried._

"_You really __**are**__ annoying" The smirk in place, oblivious to the pieces of her heart at his feet…_

"_Don't leave!" I'll die…._

"_Sakura... Thank you…" _

Moist drops fell onto the tattered photo leaving watery stains. Sakura reached up to touch her face, mildly surprised to find tears streaming down…

A pounding at the front door made her jump as the memories quickly ebbed away. Sakura hastily swiped the tears away coming to her senses. The pounding grew louder and more urgent.

"C-coming!" she called wincing at how broken her voice sounded. She walked to the front door, forgetting the photo was still clutched tightly in her hand.

Unlocking the dead bolt, Sakura opened the door slowly, coming face to mask with an ANBU.

"Yes?" she asked, hoping she didn't look like she had been crying.

"Haruno-san, there is news that the target may have been located. The elders wish for you and your team to leave immediately." He handed over a rolled up piece of paper.

"Here are the coordinates of his last known location and a list of possible places in which you may find him. I trust you and your men will be ready to leave by tonight?.." it wasn't much of a question.

Sakura nodded taking the paper from him.

"Good. I shall send word to the elders and the hokage… Oh, and Sakura-san, good luck." And with that, he disappeared.

Sakura shut the door, setting the deadbolt back in place. She stood there for what seemed like hours. The tears had dried leaving damp stains down her cheeks. Her mind was bombarded with so many thoughts that it was a garbled mess.

Minutes passed until it finally dawned on her that she was still in a towel and that she needed to pack her things.

"Shit…" she cursed softly.

* * *

><p>The scent of Tahitian flower filled the entire apartment, as Sakura finished closing her pack. The scented candle would have normally put her at ease but this time it had the opposite effect. It was making her nauseous and anxious.<p>

She went through her mental checklist for the third time, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything, but she already knew she hadn't.

Going over to the source of the pungent smell, Sakura went to blow out the candle, but the damned photo caught her eye…

Picking it up, she stared into the eyes of the man she was to destroy…

"_Sasuke-kun!"_ her childish voice echoed in her mind.

"_Arigatou…"_ his voice rang out almost as if he were in the very room with her.

Going over to the burning candle, Sakura held the picture to the flame, letting it consume and distort the image…

She watched with emotionless eyes as it burned.

Leaving no traces of its existence but ashes that could easily disappear with the wind….


	4. Chapter 4

Here I Fall

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: sorry for the delay. also, please PLEASE review, i need to know if this is goodor if i'm wasting my time...

Something kinda sad about the way

that things have come to be.

Desensitized to everything

What became of subtlety?

How can it mean anything to me

If I really don't feel anything at all?

I'll keep digging till I feel something...

Chapter 4:

The earsplitting boom resonated off the walls as Hinata jumped yet again.

"DAMN IT!" the furious voice bellowed.

For the second time, Hinata almost retreated, but she forced herself to do otherwise. Swallowing her fear, she timidly knocked on the oak door that provided a solid barrier to the chaos that ensued within. The sound of glass breaking reached her ears in reply.

"AHHHHH!" The roar made her flinch. She wasn't expecting someone to answer the door so she simply let herself in.

Her opaque eyes widened in horror at the debris that littered the once immaculate office. The walls had gaping holes from strong fists. Broken chairs lay in a careless disarray. The heavy desk now lay in a splintered mess. Papers floated and swirled around in the slight breeze that came from the broken windows. After all of the noise, the silence in the destroyed room was deafening. The sound of harsh breathing suddenly reached her ears as she scanned the mess for the source.

There in a corner, sat the root of her concern.

"N-n-naruto-kun..." She called out softly almost as if to a wounded animal, but given the circumstances, it wasn't too far off from the truth.

"GO AWAY!" Came his furious reply.

Again she flinched, this time tears beginning to form.

"But N-naruto-kun.." She tried again. Though he was hokage and she was his assistant, she still called him by his childhood nickname. To her, he would always be 'Naurto-kun'.

"NO!" He cut her off again. He turned his head slightly to glare at her but when he saw the tears rimming her orbs, his heart sank.

Hinata took a few tentative steps forward, ignoring the crunching of broken shards beneath her feet. His weak voice made her pause.

"Gomen Hinata, but please.. Please just leave me alone.. I want, no I NEED to be alone. Onegai.." He begged weakly.

She was going to refuse to leave, the pain in his eyes made her heart break and she couldn't leave him to bare it alone. But being Naruto, she knew he was too stubborn to let her comfort him. She was torn between the thing she knew he wanted and the thing she knew he needed..

"Onegai.." His broken voice reached her ears once more. A teardrop silently fell as she made up her mind.

"H-hai Naruto-kun.." She could not refuse his request when he seemed so vulnerable, so destroyed... She slowly retreated and soundlessly shut the door behind her. Taking a deep breath and clutching at the pain in her chest, she whispered brokenly, "I love you Naruto-kun."

* * *

><p>Naruto heard the door click back in place and it dawned on him that he once again was alone.<p>

Alone...

Funny how that word always dominated his life. A new wave of pain crashed into him leaving him gasping for breath as more tears formed.

He felt as if his heart was being brutally ripped and shredded into tiny mangled pieces and he wished for nothing more than to tear it out in order for the pain to subside.

As the tears flowed freely, he couldn't help the anger that rose inside. Why was everything ALWAYS being ripped away from him?

He had been forced to grow up without the love of a family. No parents to hold him when he was afraid, to scold him when he did wrong, or to help him when he was lost. Children would always cry and beg for toys or something of the sort but he.. He begged for a mother and a father. He had even went so far as to ask for a brother or sister. It didn't matter, his wishes never came true..

At least not until he became a part of squad seven... Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, Sasuke... They were a bit dysfunctional, but they were his family. Kakashi-sensei had taken the role of his father, mentoring and guiding. And though he had had a huge infatuation with Sakura, she was ultimately like his sister. As they grew older, he realized she had also tackled the role of his mother, always scolding but nurturing all the same. And Sasuke.. The one that was so much like him.. The one who understood his pain, the one who was just as alone..

Sasuke had become his brother. Blood didn't matter, the bonds Naruto had formed with his family would never be broken.

When Sasuke had left Konoha, Naruto swore he would do everything and anything to bring him home. They were a family..

But now.. Everything was being ripped apart. He was going to lose a part of his family and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. What use was his endless hours of training and unwavering determination if in the end, it was all futile?

If Sakura, or one of the other two teams were to succeed, he'd lose his brother...

But if she were to fail, he'd lose his sister.. For surely after learning of her intentions, Sasuke would kill her.. Of that he was sure..

Or he would lose them both.. They would kill each other.. They would leave him alone..

How fucking selfish?

His anger reached a boiling point as he reached for the object closest to him, hurling it away from him. It was a frame that shattered into a thousand pieces upon impact of the already damaged wall. The sound of glass breaking made him look up. The picture that was once housed in the now destroyed frame, drifted over towards him. Naruto picked it up and turned it over, his heart breaking all over again.

He clutched the photo tightly and screwed his eyes shut screaming in pain, hoping the louder he screamed, the less it would hurt. But no matter what he did, the image of his family was already embedded into his mind and in all of the tiny pieces that were left of him...

* * *

><p>"Haruno-san?" The male shinobi asked for the third time.<p>

The pink haired woman looked up with a start, finally realizing she had been called.

"Gomen. What is it?" She asked hoping they hadn't noticed her lack of attention.

The man stared at her questioningly, "Are you sure you do not feel ill? Perhaps it is best if you return to the village if you do not feel up to the mission.."

"No." She said flatly. "I'm sorry I have been distracted. But continue with what you had to say."

He continued to give her a doubtful look but continued speaking nonetheless.

"Well I was merely suggesting that we send out a few men to scout the area of these possible hideouts. We don't want to waste time going to every location. Also we do not know what we could be up against. It would not be very wise to go in blind."

Sakura resisted the urge to laugh. They were going to go up against Sasuke and his mangekyo sharingan. They may as well have been going in blind, deaf, and mute! She kept the emotionless mask in place and simply nodded.

The leader of Team 1 continued to talk about strategies as Sakura began to tune him out. Her mind drifted to other thoughts as she relived her walk out of Konoha's gates.. The very gates she once swore she'd reenter with Sasuke...

The gates that taunted and tormented her with the memories of him walking away.. Never to return..

* * *

><p>"Ahhh Sasuke!" The brunette screamed, as the man above her glared in distaste.<p>

He hated the boisterous ones. Their screams were annoying to say the least, their cooing was downright pathetic, and their compliments were simply unnecessary. He didn't need the extra show to know he was talented.

"Sasuke!" The girl screeched again. Clearly the intensity of his death glare hadn't fazed her. If she dared to scream again, he would smother her with a pillow.

Just as the little fantasy began to play out in his head, the girl reached up and tugged him down, crushing her lips onto his. Sasuke's immediate reaction was shock which quickly shifted into anger as he pushed her away.

What the fuck was wrong with this girl? Clearly her actions had already irritated him, and yet she still had the audacity to kiss him?

He had had his fair share of kisses but it wasn't something he particularly enjoyed. A kiss was pointless. It was a means to express affection and therein lies the reason that it was deemed as such.

As much as he hated to admit, he missed Karin. She was the most irritating living being he had ever had the displeasure of encountering, but she was a good lay, AND she knew better than to kiss or scream.

The questioning look the dark haired girl wore, was completely lost on the distracted man above her. She could almost laugh at how childish he looked when he was pensive. The words escaped her lips before she had even realized that they had formed...

"Sasuke-kun..."

Sasuke instantly froze as images of pink and green bombarded his mind. His stoic mask slipping slightly as his eyes widened a fraction as a ghost of her memory appeared before him. Tears rimmed those haunting green eyes as her lips slowly moved..

"Sasuke-kun..."

The sound of her tormented voice echoed in his ears..

He was off of the girl in an instant, eyes hard and cold. "Shut up." He said in an eerily calm voice, though the rage that flickered in his eyes indicated otherwise.

The girl shied away from him in fear. She opened her mouth to speak but she found herself choking on words. A gasp escaped her followed by a "Sasu-" but he was in front of her instantly, chakra flaring. The girl was lost for words as she gazed up into his sharingan. What had she done to make him so angry? She felt like a cornered animal as he towered over her.

He could see her trembling in fear and his lips twitched slightly forming a tiny smirk.

"If you ever call me that again I will not hesitate in slitting your throat." He whispered. Tears formed in the frightened girl's eyes as she stared at the monster before her.

"Understand?" His smooth voice questioned. The girl nodded hesitantly.

"Good. Now get the fuck out." The brunette wasted no time in jumping off the bed, grabbing her clothes and bolting out the door.

Sasuke sighed as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. He reached for a nearby towel, deciding a shower was in need. He needed to wash off the scent of cheap whore he reasoned.

* * *

><p>The hot water soothed the aching muscles as the dark haired man relished under its endless cascade. He kept his eyes closed trying desperately to clear his troubled mind. Lately his pathetically weak mind had been conjuring up memories that were better off left alone... Memories that tore open old wounds...<p>

Who would have guessed that the great Sasuke Uchiha's weakness and greatest fear were the memories that constantly haunted him?

He inhaled deeply as images of his parents, Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi formed. Their voices echoed and overlaped in his head.

"I'm going to be the next hokage! Dattebayo!"  
>"For those who go looking for revenge, it doesn't end well.."<br>"Sasuke-kun.."

He braced his hands against the tiled wall and rested his forehead on the slippery surface as their voices became a loud garbled mess. He bit down on his lower lip with enough force to draw blood. He ignored the bitter taste in his mouth and slammed his fists into the wall. Why wouldn't they leave him alone?

"Little brother..."

His eyes flew open at the sound of his brother's voice.. He gritted his teeth as his eyes became narrow slits.  
>"Leave me the fuck alone!" He bellowed.<p>

As his echoes slowly subsided, he noticed that the voices had faded away, but had been replaced by an incessant knocking. Taking a deep breath the Uchiha shut off the running water and reached for a towel. As he exited the bathroom and wrapped the towel around his waist, the pounding at the door grew louder. He let out a low growl, silently promising a slow and agonizing death to whoever stood behind it. What the fuck was so important? Wrenching the door open a crack, he glared at the cowering man behind it.

"U-Uch-Uchiha-sama..! T-there's been news that Konohagakure has.. Has deployed several shinobi.. W-we are unsure of what the intended mission is... B-but-"

"How many?" Sasuke cut him off.

"U-umm perhaps anywhere from f-five to t-twelve men.. maybe more... B-but-"  
>The door slammed shut in the man's face, effectively ending the exchange between the two. Sasuke listened as the footsteps faded away. His mind began to register his subordinate's words. His lips slowly twisted into a slight smirk.<p>

"So they have finally come..."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I'm so sorry for the long delay but I have been so busy with work and I had a mild case of writers block. So once again I am so sorry. I know this is a bit short but considering it was kind of difficult to write and I haven't posted anything in forever I suppose it won't be too bad. Also, please, please, I'm begging those of you who read this, please review. I really want to know what you guys think. It will definitely help me out with how I will write future chapters. Thanks a million. –P

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto.

I try to make it through my life

In my way, there's you…

I try to make it through these lies

That's all I do…

If you were dead or still alive,

I don't care…

And all things we left behind,

I don't care…

I don't care…

At all.

Chapter 5:

His footsteps echoed loudly within the silent confines of the seemingly empty house. His breathing came in short shaky breaths. Obsidian eyes tried in vain to make out any familiar shapes or figures. But the darkness seemed to swallow every fraction of light. A very faint scent began to invade his nose. Strangely, the smell was somewhat familiar to him... He pressed onward in attempt to discover the source of his discomfort. The further he walked, the colder it became as goose bumps formed on his arms. He couldn't explain how he knew, but he had the unsettling feeling he was close to his unknown destination.. As if to solidify his belief, he stopped abruptly as his bare feet came in contact with something wet...

The familiar metallic scent washed over him as he stopped breathing. A bright light suddenly illuminated everything in front of him, blinding him for a fraction of a second. As his eyes slowly adjusted, a strangled cry escaped his lips...

There in front of him, in a sea of crimson, lay bodies upon bodies. His mother and father lay in a pool of their own blood. His brother lay a mere few inches from them. His equally dark eyes frozen in their unseeing gaze. Sasuke forced himself to look past them into the eye of his former sensei. Kakashi's body lay limp next to his former students. He could see Naruto and Sakura's still forms. All covered in blood. Lee, TenTen, Neji, Kiba, everyone he had ever known lay dead. The sickening feeling intensified as his stomach churned at the over powering smell of blood. Death hung over him, compressing the very air in his lungs. He struggled for breath, trying to erase the image before him... Why did it even affect him? Why did he care that these people lay dead? Why? WHY?

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

He held his head in his hands, screaming, wanting nothing more than to rid his mind of pathetic memories, thoughts and emotions...

A sudden resonating thump cut through his scream, causing him to lap into silence. Another boom echoed, followed by another and another. It was continuous and demanding and the louder it became, the more the image in front of him disintegrated until it faded away. The knocking continued as he slowly awoke.

Years of training had taught him to keep his eyes closed until he was fully aware of his surroundings. His ears registered the sound of a fist urgently beating at his door. Taking a deep breath, the raven haired man opened his eyes, feeling slightly more at ease when the images of bodies did not appear. The noise behind his closed door grew louder as yells now joined the pounding.

"Uchiha-sama! Uchiha-sama! You must come quickly! Uchiha-sama!"

Gritting his teeth, the man in question threw off the now sweat dampened sheets faster than humanly possible and made his way to the door. If it wasn't important, so the kami help him, heads would roll... A slight feeling of de ja vu washed over him as he wrenched the door open glaring at the man behind it.

"Uchiha-sama! So sorry for disturbing you but you must come see this!" the man bowed deeply as he spoke. The younger man simply raised an eyebrow as if to question what "this" was.

"I cannot explain! But you must hurry! Come!" And with that he took off running down the hall. Sasuke let out a low growl, knowing EXACTLY whose head would be the first to roll...

* * *

><p>The ebony haired man calmly walked into the room as hushed voices quickly fell silent. In the center of the room, in a fetal position, lay one of Sasuke's acclaimed "henchmen", Ryo. Cuts littered his shaking body and every so often his body convulsed with tremors. His eyes were screwed shut and his face was pale and gaunt.<br>"We found him at one of the entrances. I've tried to heal the wounds but there's something.. Something foreign that won't allow me to.. I think whatever it is, is killing him from the inside out.." The medical nin among the men said with a hint of shocked awe.

"Hn.." Was the only thing that came from the Uchiha.

"Th-they're c-c-com-ing!" Choked out the man on the floor.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly.  
>"Who?"<p>

"S-s-shi-nobi... T-th-they're t-too f-fast.. T-t-too strong.."

"B-b-ut. S-she.. SHE did t-t-this t-to m-me.." And almost as if to emphasize his point, the man coughed loudly, spraying blood onto the floor.

The man's labored breathing filled the room as the rest of the men silently waited for a reaction out of their leader. Nothing seemed to happen as the stoic man took in the words of his subordinate. His obsidian eyes slowly roamed over his injuries.

"Who?" He asked again, referring to Ryo's mention of a woman. The battered man strained to look up at him as he opened his mouth to speak. Instead of words, a choked gasp escaped him as his whole body twitched and trembled violently, jerking him slightly off the floor. Everyone watched in horror as gurgles escaped his throat and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. The group collectively watched as his body hit the floor with a sickening thud, his eyes frozen in their unseeing gaze.

The deafening silence stretched on as all eyes focused on the dead man, until it was abruptly broken by the loud footsteps of the burly man who burst into the room.

"Uchiha-sama! They have broken through our first line of defense! We are trying to keep them at bay, but there is no stopping them! We need more men!" The man gasped out between pants.

"Tch.." Was Sasuke's reply. His incompetent followers couldn't even handle a few men... How pathetic, he thought. Sasuke shrugged and waved his hand dismissively to the rest of the men in the room. "Go." was his only command. Instantly the men bowed and said, "Hai Uchiha-sama!" simultaneously before running after the burly man.

Closing his eyes, Sasuke took a deep breath, he was surrounded by idiots. Letting out a sigh, without opening his eyes, he spoke, knowing full well he was not alone. "Shino.. Dispose of this.." referring to the dead man. The medical nin hesitated slightly before speaking.

"Uchiha-sama.."

Sighing deeply once more, the annoyed Uchiha opened his eyes to face the irritating man. Raising an eyebrow, he silently urged him to continue.

"Like I said earlier, it... It may seem that Ryo had something.. Something inside... I- I've never seen this kind of jutsu.. But... It was definitely done by a medical nin...".

The stoic man remained silent but Shino could tell that the piece of information had piqued his interest by the way his eyebrow twitched slightly. Bowing to his superior, Shino left the room to join the others in battle.

"Hn... Medical nin.. This just got a lot more interesting..."

* * *

><p>Pink locks whipped around her as intense green eyes gazed back and forth between her opponents. Beads of sweat lightly coated her flushed skin as her breathing had become labored. Regardless, her determination never faltered as she gracefully twisted, evading a blow from one of the men. He paused slightly, presumably to catch his breath, bad move. For surely it would be his last. Sakura quickly darted towards him, hand outstretched. With a strike of her fist, he was on the ground instantly, cradling his now shattered leg. She ignored the shrieks of pain and profanity as she dipped and weaved, deflecting kicks and punches that came her way. One by one she picked them off, until a mere two remained. She knew her comrades had sustained injuries and perhaps there were even casualties and she longed to put her medic skills to use, but knew she must remove the obstacles before her. As she gathered chakra into her fists, she faltered slightly as she sensed it….<p>

That chakra signature… it felt so foreign to her now, yet she recognized it instantly. He had finally decided to show himself. No matter, it would not shake her nor would it deter her from completing her mission. She continued to fend off the enemy as though _he_ was not near. As if _he _was not watching her. She could feel his eyes on her, she knew they were boring into her, trying desperately to see within. A ghost of a smirk flitted across her face, never again… Never again would she be exposed to him…

* * *

><p>Could <em>she<em> be _the _medic nin? He scoffed. Shino had said he had never seen that type of jutsu before, and by the way the man had expressed such awe could only mean that it had been done by someone powerful. And _she_, the naïve little girl, was incapable of such strength. Still…. It intrigued him to find out who this woman was. Perhaps her skills would be beneficial to him. And kami knows, he'd been itching to dispose of his current irritating medic. Curiosity got the better of him as he left the hideout, fully prepared to slaughter any and all Konoha ninja…

* * *

><p>Sharingan activated, he entered the clearing. Eyes narrowed as he recognized the familiar presence…. He knew that chakra signature anywhere but it was off… There was something different… It was strong, unrelenting… it couldn't be <em>hers<em>... Ignoring the countless bodies, surely most of which were his useless men, he scanned the field. Instantly he found the familiar pink and red. The colors were right but the girl, no, _woman_ was not…

Black boots adorned her feet leaving long legs bare to above mid thigh where tiny black shorts hugged her hips. Her flat and lean stomach lay smooth skin exposed. A small black tank clung to her generous chest and a sleeveless red vest lay over it; the familiar symbol of her lineage printed on the back. Long pink hair whipped around her in a frenzy. Fingerless black gloves were worn on her dainty yet powerful hands. Wrappings wound around her left forearm, and with his excellent eye sight, he could make out the tattoo that was branded on her right shoulder. His eyes narrowed slightly, it was the ANBU mark. He scoffed, she was a medic, not a high ranking assassin; the small medic pouch worn around her waist, proved as much. But he couldn't get over the fact that her chakra was off…. It frustrated him…

Fierce green eyes turned towards him, and he saw it… The change… The years had transformed her, it was obvious in her eyes. The once vibrant happy pools of lush green, had faded, turned hard and cold…. The eyes that had once haunted him, now held hate and belonged to someone lethal….


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: First off let me start by apologizing to everyone that has been faithfully reading my story. I am so sorry it took me this long to finally post another chapter. I've been so busy and I honestly lost my motivation for a while. But, my cousin, who really loves my story encouraged me to keep writing some more. Not only that but I have received a few nice reviews that I am eternally grateful for. Those of you that took the time out to review thank you so much, I really do appreciate it. And for those that have not reviewed but read my story anyway, thank you too. At least my story is interesting enough for you guys to follow I just really hope I can get some more feedback. I'd love to know how I'm doing. Thanks again to all of you and I am working on the next chapter so hopefully you guys won't have to wait so long. 3 P

P.S. IMPORTANT: Due to the fact that in my story's plot, the characters are roughly 23-24, it obviously means that The Fourth Great Ninja War has already happened years ago. I'm going to kind of gloss over the details of the war because of the simple fact that I do not know what will happen. Thanks.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto.

"I know, I better stop trying...  
>You know that there's no denying...<br>I won't show mercy on you now.  
>I know I should stop believing,<br>I know that there's no retrieving.  
>It's over now...<br>Why?  
>Why does fate make us suffer?<br>There's a curse between us.  
>Between me and you...<br>Would you mind if I killed you?  
>Would you mind if I tried to?<br>Understand that I need to...  
>Cuz you have turned into my<br>Worst enemy  
>you carry hate that I feel.<br>What have you done?"

Ch. 6

The sound of a glass being slammed down onto the wooden surface gained the attention of the man tending the bar. He glanced over at the blond man that sat with his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Give me another!" the man demanded.

Though it was not in his nature to meddle, the middle aged bartender thought it unwise to allow the poor man to drink himself into an inebriated abyss. And he certainly wasn't going to be responsible for providing him with the means to perish from alcohol poisoning. So, clearing his throat and mustering up the courage to summon his voice, he started, "With all due respect-" .

Enraged cobalt orbs shot him a look that stopped him from further voicing his thoughts.

"Y-yes sir" the bartender murmured in an exasperated manner before scrambling to refill the empty glass.

"I- I don't think I like the fact that you have picked up Tsunade sama's drinking habits Naruto-kun" Hinata's quiet voice made him look up, only for a fraction of a second if only to acknowledge her but quickly shifted his focus back to his drink.

She watched him sadly, opting to fill the empty stool beside him. She remained silent, hoping her mere presence conveyed her sympathy. After a few minutes had passed, she realized he had no intention of leaving. A glance at the wary bartender told Hinata, he had had more than enough. Anger coursed through her then. He was hokage, the leader of their village and he was being childish. Though it was true she had never seen him this way, so broken and defeated, it did not excuse his way of acting. He was giving up without a fight, accepting his distress with open arms. What did that say about him? When had he ever just sat back and wallowed in his pain? That wasn't the Naruto she knew. No, the man she had loved for so long was strong, and determined, and he wasn't THIS man that sat drinking his sorrows away.

"N-naruto-kun..." She began. But he simply cut her off,  
>"If you're going to lecture me about my drinking habits Hinata, don't."<p>

Her anger flared further as her ivory cheeks tinged red. "You're acting like a child!" She burst out, at the moment not caring that she had startled him.  
>Naruto merely stared at her wide eyed as she used his momentary shock to proceed.<p>

"You come here thinking you can drink your troubles away. That's something a CHILD would do! A-a child would have the mentality that if I close my eyes, I can't see my problems, so they disappear. Well open your eyes Naruto-kun! They don't! And the Naruto I know would never give up. He w-wouldn't accept things he knew were wrong. He would fight for things he believed in. For things he loved! But _this _Naruto... I don't even know him" and with that she stood up and walked away, leaving him stunned.

From behind the bar, where he had discreetly watched the ordeal, the bartender nodded with satisfaction as if agreeing with the young woman.

Naruto remained seated gazing into the depths of the murky liquid in his glass. His head spun slightly as her words slowly sunk in, taking root in his subconscious.

Thoughts raced and blurred together in an incomprehensible mess. He had made a promise. He had vowed he would bring Sasuke back to her. And yet he had failed time and time again...

He closed his eyes remembering Sakura's face when she realized he had been unsuccessful. The despair in those once bright orbs was unbearably painful to see. And it hurt far worse knowing he was unable to fix it. He had cared for her so deeply that he wanted nothing more than for her to be happy, to have her smile. He would go to great lengths to bring her the one thing she needed...

It hadn't mattered to him how many times his heart broke or how much he suffered in his vain attempts to keep his hopeless promise. She had been relying on him, and him alone, to succeed. He had once thought himself in love with her and believed to be solely responsible for her happiness. Yet it was agonizing to realize that she did not reciprocate those feelings. As time passed, his feelings grew more platonic and he felt the need to protect her. They had a strong bond similar to kinship, and yet here he sat, while she was out destroying herself. She'd kill Sasuke or die trying...

Grinding his teeth together, the grip on the glass tightened. Hinata was right, he was being childish and selfish. How could he sit back and let this happen? He wouldn't be able to live with himself...

The glass shattered into a thousand pieces in his hand, creating tiny cuts and slashes along once smooth surface. He glanced at the tiny droplets of blood impassively.

Sighing deeply, Naruto stood, left his payment on the counter, and walked out of the dingy bar.

He had a promise to keep...

* * *

><p>"Sa-ku-ra" she could hear the stupid smirk in his voice. Bastard.<p>

She held her ground, and turned emerald orbs towards him, taking care to avoid his eyes. He had grown taller, more muscular. Midnight locks were the same as she remembered. He was still breathtakingly beautiful, but she had grown immune to him, knowing the hideous monster that lay beneath.

"Uchiha." She bit out. He appeared to remain impassive, but the way his jaw clenched minutely, proved that her manner of greeting didn't sit right with him. She relished in the smugness it brought her. What did he expect? 'Sasuke-kun'? Surely he wasn't that stupid.

"I see you have not given up on your pathetic fantasy to bring me back to Konoha." He said, watching her. He waited for her rambling about Naruto and the village. Waited for her childish lecture, or her useless proclamation of devotion. Yet neither came... Instead he was rewarded with her loud humorless laugh.

Cold green eyes bore into him, as a wicked grin spread across her lips.  
>"The village does not deploy anbu hunter nin for retrieval missions, Uchiha." She said in an eerily calm voice.<p>

"Hn." Was his impassive reply.

"Besides do you honestly believe that Konoha wishes for your return? Or are you really just that arrogant?". She continued.

"I could care less what that village wants" he shot back.

"Yes I'm very well aware of that, as is the village. Helping the Akatsuki attack Konoha made your message loud and clear." She spat.

"My intentions were always obvious, it was _you _and your precious village that chose to stay oblivious." He replied.

She hesitated, knowing he was right, and that they had paid dearly for it... Never again she promised herself. He had destroyed her home, killed her comrades, and obliterated any hope she had left in him. That war had changed the people of Konoha, and more importantly, it had changed _her…_

"Was it worth it?" She asked him finally, relaxing her stance and walking over to a fallen shinobi, one of the bastard's followers. She could feel Sasuke's eyes on her, always accessing and calculating. The dead man on the ground had a massive axe protruding from his back. Sasuke watched silently as she nonchalantly pulled the weapon out, ignoring the squelching it made as it exited the body. She hoisted the behemoth onto her shoulder effortlessly, wrapping the chain that hung off the end around her hand. The blade itself was almost the size of her 5'3 frame, and probably more than twice her weight.

"Was it?" She asked again, pulling out a cloth and proceeded to wipe the monstrous blade clean. Sasuke watched as she didn't flinch away from the blood and small pieces of flesh.

"What does it matter to you?" He answered with one of his own questions.

Well this was, unexpected, to say the least. Years ago he barely uttered a word, and now, he almost seemed to be capable of a conversation... She let out a tiny chuckle, "You misunderstand me. I don't care at all. I just find it..." She paused dramatically pretending to look for the right word, "...Interesting..." That sly smirk was back on her lips. "What does the mighty Uchiha have left in his pathetic life?" She asked, cocking her head to the side in mock curiosity. Had she not been trained to be exceptionally observant, or had she not known him for years, she might have missed the way his hand twitched. That struck a nerve, and her smirk grew wider.

"You have nothing left... You betrayed your comrades, destroyed your only home, and killed the only family you had left..." She said, watching his form blur as he flew toward her.

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly as his hand came in contact with nothing but air. He spun on his heel quickly, grinding his teeth in fury. There she was with that damn condescending smirk. He hadn't seen her move, there was no way she could have been that fast to avoid his strike.

Sakura let out a tiny sigh of relief. She had known he would strike. She had seen the muscles tense and coil, and she had reflexively moved the second the last word left her lips. He had always been faster than her, but she had become a lot faster _and_she had stayed a step ahead of him. Had she not been planning ahead, his blow would have surely found its mark. Yet she wasn't going to let him know that. Staying several steps ahead of him was the only way to defeat the Uchiha.

"You don't know anything." Sasuke said, venom lacing his every word. He drew kusanagi, intending to end the whole inane ordeal. He'd make it quick, he decided, not for her sake but rather because he wasn't going to waste his time on a lowly medic. She wasn't even worth the trouble.

"I know a lot more than you think." She spoke calmly, taking the gigantic axe off her shoulder and widening her stance in preparation for his attack.

Sasuke watched her in amusement. Did she honestly believe that she stood a chance against him? The years must have made her mentally unstable, he reasoned. Whatever the case, it didn't matter. She was just another annoying obstacle. He had vaguely seen one of her comrades flee, perhaps to send for reinforcements. Which meant  
>MORE annoying obstacles to deal with.<p>

The Uchiha infused Kusanagi with his chidori and charged. There was no Naruto around to save her, he'd kill her once and for all. Maybe then the damn memories would die with her...

Sakura watched him coming at her, it was so surreal, almost as if she were watching everything unfold in slow motion before her eyes. This was it. She had spent six years training for this, six years pushing herself. She was stronger now, and he _**always **_underestimated her. He would pay dearly for it because she would kill him...

Or die trying.

* * *

><p>AN: I have to give credit to "mongrelssister" for the original concept of Sakura's axe. I came across this picture online and I thought it was a brilliant idea. I love the idea of Sakura having a huge powerful weapon like this, and due to her super strength, she's one of the few who can lift it. Also, Sakura's fighting style is usually close range and i figured she needed an edge to be able to fight long range as well. So, that being said, I do NOT take credit for the original concept of the axe. You can view the orignal photo at:

art/I-Want-Badass-Sakura-Back-135822648


	7. Chapter 7

A/N:

I'm so very sorry that it took me forever to finally post a new chapter. I feel horrible about it but in my defense, fight scenes are not my forte. Anywho, at least I finally got around to posting this. Also, a dedicated reviewer brought my attention to a boneheaded mistake I made on a previous chapter. In it, I wrote that Sasuke and Sakura were able to sense each other's chakra which is obviously not true since we all know Karin is pretty much the only one who can really sense and track chakra. After going over the chapter, I decided to leave it and hopefully you guys don't hate me too much for it. I just want to let you guys know that I am aware of it and am owning up to my mistake. Anywho, thanks for all the reviews and faithful reading! J Soooo without further ado, the next installment!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Ch. 7**

Another mission, the powers have called me away  
>Another time to carry the colors again<br>My motivation, an oath I've sworn to defend  
>To win the honor of coming back home again<p>

No explanation will matter after we begin  
>Unlock the dark destroyer that's buried within<br>My true vocation and now my unfortunate friend  
>You will discover a war you're unable to win<p>

I'll have you know  
>That I've become...<p>

**_Indestructible_**

The still silence was broken when the door of the office burst open to reveal a panting shinobi. The man hunched over slightly in an attempt to catch his breath while gasping out, "H-hokage-s-sama!"

Steadying his breathing, he glanced up at the man sitting behind the large, newly repaired desk.

He was taken aback when he realized it was not the familiar blonde, but rather an equally surprised copy nin.

"Hatake-san? Where's Uzumaki-san?" The shinobi questioned, thoroughly confused. He glanced around the spacious office as if it could provide an answer to the hokage's whereabouts.

"There was a... matter that needed to be tended to immediately. Naruto had me fill in temporarily." Kakashi answered, then fired back with one of his own inquiries about the man's blatant disregard for knocking, "Was there something you needed?"

"Ah! Yes!" The man hastily replied, mentally berating himself for getting distracted at such a dire time.

"We have located the target's hideout not too far from here. Just several kilometers from the outskirts of the village. We have taken down several of his men yet we are slightly outnumbered. Permission to obtain reinforcements?" The man quickly informed him.

Kakashi nodded briskly, replying with a, "Permission granted. Take whoever you may need."

"Hai!" The man promptly responded, already making his way toward the door. Kakashi's voice made him pause midway.

"Has Sas- the target shown himself?' The lone visible eye gave away no emotion.

"Yes... Haruno-san has engaged him in battle." He replied, studying the older man.

Kakashi merely nodded and dismissed him with a wave.

After the door to the office was shut securely, a deep sigh escaped the silver haired ninja. Closing his eyes, he leaned back in the chair and tried to process the garbled mess that was his thoughts.

This had been a long time coming. No matter how hard he had tried to make himself oblivious, it was downright impossible... Almost eleven years had passed since he was first assigned as their sensai, and he hardly recognized his former pupils...

Naruto, the biggest goofball, whom everyone resented and believed was destined for nothing but failure, had grown to prove them all wrong. Kakashi swelled with pride at the mere thought of how far the blonde had come. In the war, he had been the savior of the village, deeming him worthy of the title of hokage. Naruto was nothing but a vessel of fierce determination and unbridled compassion. The hardships that he had had to endure never hindered him but rather helped shape him into the great man and hokage he was now. Minato would be so proud...

And Sakura, she wasn't a prodigy or contained a jinchuriki; she had never experienced, let alone understood, the deep emotional tragedies that her teammates had. She wasn't exceptionally strong and needed to be protected more often than not, she had essentially been... Ordinary. Yet, when Naruto left with Jiraiya she had trained and made a name for herself as a talented medic. She had pushed herself even further after the war. Though it had been drilled constantly into her head that a medic was to evade not engage in battle, she went against a more than disapproving Tsunade, and enhanced her combat skills. She became anbu, gaining the ability to kill along with her ability to save... The war had seemingly affected her deeply...

Sasuke... The emotionally scarred prodigy hell bent on self destructive revenge had gone down a very dark and unforgiving road. A path made of betrayal and bloodshed... Kakashi had tried to make him see what kind of monster he would become, but Sasuke had not heeded anyone's warnings. His insatiable thirst for revenge had blinded him, and made him the unrecognizable thing he was now. Something hideously consumed by hate, darkness and insanity...

Still... It struck him as odd that Sasuke would be so near to the village. Surely the lone Uchiha had known he was a marked man, and yet he had been hiding out so close to "enemy" territory. It had been six years since the end of the war, plenty of time for him to flee much further away.

Hunting Sasuke down had not been a priority at the time. Burying the dead, healing the wounded, rebuilding the destroyed village, and coming to terms with everything had overshadowed the desire to pursue the Uchiha. It had taken years for the village to recover. And now, the elders had deemed it fit to deploy anbu nin in the mission to annihilate Sasuke Uchiha.

Naruto had been beyond enraged when he learned of the elders' decision and had all but self destructed when he learned Sakura had been assigned to the mission. Endless strings of profanity had escaped his mouth, but Sakura's seemingly nonchalant acceptance had stunned him into silence. It had come somewhat of a shock to the blonde that Sakura had been so indifferent to the ordeal. Kakashi, though, had not been as surprised. He had seen the subtle changes in the pinkette's demeanor over the years. He could see her breaking, then building herself back up, each time stronger than the last. He knew Naruto could see it too; perhaps even better than he, after all, the blonde loved her with every fiber of his being. He knew her far better than anyone else, every lie, every smile… He knew her… But he feigned ignorance, refusing to believe that she had given up.

Kakashi knew she had silently resigned herself to the fact that Sasuke would never again be "Sasuke-kun". He knew that she was not dumb enough to believe that years of darkness and corruption could be washed away with her pleas. No, she had grown, and learned and let go…

Still, it was a sick twist of fate that had her attempting to kill the one man she loved. The elders really were sadistic bastards. For all his obliviousness though, Naruto knew the real person Sakura was destroying was herself… And he would not let her suffer. Screw the elders...

Thus, the copy nin had been summoned.

Kakashi exhaled deeply, as he gazed out the massive windows, watching dark ominous clouds roll in. He was probably close by now, if the shinobi was right about the hideout being so close. A sudden flash of unearthly blue lightening in the distance had him narrowing his eye…

"Hurry Naruto…"

* * *

><p>The soft sound of clothes rippling in the wind mingled with his even breathing and pounding heart as he flew through the trees, the potent mixture of adrenaline and determination burning through his veins.<p>

Grinding his teeth together, he pushed himself to run faster, knowing he had a lot of ground to make up. Of all the days for Izumo and Kotetsu to be exceptionally alert, they chose today. It made sense that after the war, they had taken their duty far more seriously, but he was hokage, he felt he could come and go as he pleased. Still, Izumo had quickly stopped him, interrogating him mercilessly. He had flat out refused to let Naruto exit Konoha's gates without guards. Naruto had gripped and whined about not needing protection and adamantly tried to convince them that he was merely going to wait for Sai to come back from his mission. It wasn't a total lie, Sai was due back from his mission any day now, and he had attempted to use that as an excuse, lest the elders find out what his true intentions were.

The pair had eventually and reluctantly gave in, and allowed him to leave, though not without warning him of sending someone after him if he stayed out too long. Naruto had wandered out of the gates grumbling about stupid annoying guards, merely to keep up appearances. He knew they had the best intentions in mind.

If they knew the real reason as to why he was anxious to leave, they would have surely made a scene and word would spread. He was risking a lot, he knew that; not to mention he'd have to deal with the wrath of the elders later, but he felt the risk of losing the people most precious to him far outweighed the consequences.

Sakura would be furious with him for interfering, and in all honesty he was probably more afraid of the repercussions of angering _her_. He'd deal with that later as well. Kakashi was the only one who somewhat approved of what he was doing. The others didn't understand...

Yes, Sasuke was a wanted man. And yes, he did help put Konoha in ruins. And yes, he had killed Konoha nin. But Naruto refused to let him die. He wholeheartedly believed Sasuke could be saved from his darkness. He knew that there was a shred of humanity left in the Uchiha that could still be salvaged. And he would save him...

A flash of bright blue lightening in the distance ripped him from his thoughts as he belatedly realized he had unconsciously been standing still. Cursing under his breath, he pushed off the tree and mentally scolded himself for slowing down. Another flash had him flying through the trees at break neck speeds. He had to get there, now...

* * *

><p>The rush of blood pumping through her veins and the deafening sound of her labored breathing filled the air as she dove out of his way. He was a burst of colossal speed and power. But she was holding her own.<p>

Barely.

Yet she was proud of herself, years ago, she wouldn't have been able to come within five feet of him. He surely would have been able to kill her with an elegant flick of his wrist. No, she wouldn't make it that easy for him this time around. _**This **_time she'd make him see that she was a formidable opponent...

* * *

><p>Damn her... Why wouldn't she just die? Surely he was losing his touch if he could not rip her apart by now. No, he refused to think of her as a challenge. She was such a nuisance, utterly annoying...<p>

He jumped out of the way as her earth shattering blow came down, obliterating chunks of rock leaving a massive crater in her wake. She had become impossibly stronger, he vaguely noted. He was careful to steer clear of her blows. Surely she'd easily disintegrate the bones in half his body should she hit her mark. He'd heal, but it would be a very lengthy and painful process that would render him nearly useless in battle. He was able to read her moves easily, but she had gotten faster. And she was extremely apt in evading. Not to mention, he had to keep track of her damn monster of a weapon. It had held up to Kusanagi and his chidori, an impressive feat...

Damp strands of pink hair clung to her face as she barely evaded his onslaught of blows. She ignored the dull ache in her side, knowing she didn't have the chakra to waste in healing a minor injury. At least the blood from the cuts that she had obtained had dried. He still refused to take her seriously. He had yet to pull out the big guns. He had not summoned Susanoo and she had adamantly avoided his eyes in hopes of keeping his attempts at Tsukuyomi at bay. He had not tried Amaterasu and she was a bit miffed that he believed she was not worth the strain. He believed he was humoring her. Well he could go screw himself…

_My declaration embedded deep under my skin_  
><em>A permanent reminder of how it began<em>  
><em>No hesitation when I am commanded to strike<em>  
><em>You need to know that you're in for the fight of your life<em>

She pounced once again this time striking the ground a mere few feet from him. A huge slab of rock splintered and jut upwards from the force of being ripped from the earth. Punching directly through the center of the rock, she watched as it broke into thousands of jagged shards that burst forth. Their projectile right on target with the Uchiha. He had the audacity to look bored as he simply began his fire release jutsu.

Sasuke let out a small sigh, this was child's play, did she honestly believe she'd be able to wound him with such mediocre techniques? It wasn't until he felt the tear at his side that his eyes widened in mild surprise. Blood quickly coated his shirt from the gash produced by the flying axe. Damn her…

He jumped back a few feet, simply to access the damage. It didn't look horrible, and he'd heal. Yet he couldn't help the inkling that if had she found her mark, he would have surely been split in half by the monstrous blade. He was becoming annoyed. He needed to end this battle quickly. Gathering chakra, he prepared to use Kirin. He paused as a wave of numbness crept its way up his side. Glancing down at his injury, he noticed his blood had run black. Menacing eyes darted to the kunochi who stood panting before him. His blood boiled at the way she almost looked pleased with herself…

Poison.

_Every broken enemy will know_  
><em>That their opponent had to be invincible<em>  
><em>Take a last look around while you're alive<em>  
><em>I'm an indestructible master of war<em>

She had managed to poison him. It would slow him down, but it wouldn't stop him. He'd still kill her and relish in the satisfaction it gave him when her damn smirk disappeared…

Sakura knew she had to strike, she was unsure if she would be able to evade kirin once he made the strike. She had survived this long because of her exceptional ability to analyze and evade, after all, the skills had been ingrained into every fiber of her being. But dodging lightening that struck in a thousandth of a second was next to impossible. Yanking the chain of her axe, she swung in a wide circle before sending it flying towards him once more. He easily blocked the blade with kusanagi, propelling it to the side as it clattered to the ground. Chidori engulfed his hand as he flew at her, fully intent on ending it. He watched as her bright green eyes widened in panic with the knowledge that she would be unable to evade. Cold eyes remained impassive as his hand easily ripped through skin and bone, his chidori crackling wildly as it destroyed everything in its way… Her eyes went blank as a puff of smoke suddenly engulfed her, reveling nothing but empty space…

A clone.

Grinding his teeth in frustration, he spun on his heel and thrust his arm upwards, knowing full well it would find its target…

He felt the sickening pressure on his limb as it impaled delicate flesh and tissue. He heard the small gasp that escaped her surprised lips. Her emerald orbs were wide with confusion and fear. He watched her delicate features softly contort in pain as she gazed down at the arm protruding from her chest. Thick rivulets of blood flowed freely from the wound as they began to paint the ground around them crimson…

He could _feel_ the erratic pounding of her struggling heart near his forearm and could hear the faint gurgling her desperate breaths made… Small drops of rain began to speckle the ground almost in an attempt to wash away the steadily growing puddle of blood. _Her_ blood…

Her heart slowed even further as it began to pour. He stood there, drinking in the sight before him. For some reason he could not fathom, it sickened him to see her this way…

Dying.

He ripped his arm out of her, ignoring the grotesque squelching and the hideous view of the gaping hole. He watched as she began to collapse, his arm no longer supporting her. He should have just let her hit the ground, he should not have cared, but something made him grab her and guide her to the ground.

His face remained impassive as intense green eyes bore into him. Her breathing slowed as the pool of blood around her grew. The metallic scent invaded his nose as haunting memories slowly crept their way into his mind... The image of his beautiful mother lying in a pool of her own blood flashed before his eyes…

Sakura's eyes had now closed as she exhaled sharply. He waited for her chest to rise. And waited… after several seconds went by, he realized it would not rise again. Something inexplicable ran through him then. Something foreign and frightening…

He had felt it once before. With Itachi..

Guilt?

Remorse?

No, Sasuke Uchiha was incapable of feeling such things. Yet he could not deny the unwelcomed feeling that coursed through him. Images of the deaths of his family continued to flash before him in a sick montage as the rain refused to let up on its relentless pounding…


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note**_

I know that I'm not supposed to post a chapter to write a note, but I felt that you loyal readers deserve something after this super long wait. So, I am eternally sorry for not updating in ages. Truth be told, I've been extremely busy and stressed out with work and what not. Working night shift in the health care field really kicks your ass, trust me. Anyway, I should hopefully be done with the next chapter to Here I Fall very soon, I'm not happy at all with how long its taking me to crank this one out. Like I said before, fight scenes are definitely not my forte, so I apologize for the lack luster scene in the last chapter. I know it might not have been what you expected, but it is what is. Also, yes I know that Sasuke, wasn't all bad ass and in crazy killer mode, but remember, its been years since the war and his only recollection of Sakura, at least in my mind, is that of a weak and useless little girl not worth his time or energy. So he doesn't even acknowledge her as an opponent, therefore he doesn't bother to waste his full potential on her and clearly underestimates her. Sakura, has trained and can now at least stand her ground. But I bet you didn't see the ending coming now did ya? Fret not my followers; the story is far from over! I just love cliff hangers. Mwahaha. So bare with me and my severe case of writers blockitis. And thank you so much for reading and reviewing I really really appreciate it, and don't be so mad at me for posting this note. -P


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